by Don Hall

Ruy Teixeira over at The Liberal Patriot SubStack drops some ideas about the Democratic Party can reclaim the majority of the country in terms of moving the needle back and to the left, back and to the left.

What struck me was the list within the piece of what he calls common sense proposals.

‌Police misconduct and brutality against people of any race is wrong and we need to reform police conduct and recruitment. However, more and better policing is needed to get criminals off the streets and secure public safety.

Both things are true and can be achieved in tandem.

‌America benefits from the presence of immigrants and no immigrant, even if illegal, should be mistreated. But border security is hugely important, as is an enforceable system that fairly decides who can enter the country.

True and true.

Racial achievement gaps are bad and we should seek to close them. However, they are not due just to racism and standards of high achievement should be maintained for people of all races.

People who want to live as a gender different from their biological sex should have that right. However, biological sex is real and spaces limited to biological women in areas like sports and prisons should be preserved. Medical treatments like drugs and surgery are serious interventions that should not be available on demand, especially for children.

As the oft-used phrase goes, two things can be true at the same time. If one side of the lunatic class can agree with one and the other side of the rabid mouth-framers can agree with the other, we call that compromise. Common ground.

Equality of opportunity is a fundamental American principle; equality of outcome is not.

This is Ruy's only example that doesn't quite the common sense proposal model. Yes, equality of opportunity is fundamental to American society. True, equality of outcome (otherwise known as 'equity') is not. Contrary to the exercise of finding that common sense common ground, this piece doesn't fit the puzzle.

Equity is a tricky proposal. It posits that, given the same resources, the same advantages, and the same equality of opportunity, we all can achieve some modicum of success. It suggests that those born with disadvantage—disability, poverty, unconventional family structure—just need the same external resources more advantaged folks have and they will likewise succeed in life. It does not take into consideration that some people are born shorter than others, less physically capable than others, less intellectually capable than others. Some people are just ugly. Some are stupid. In the host of humanity, some people are born with allergies, genetic anomalies, big ass ears, huge noses, bowed legs.

Some are genetically more likely to lose their hair.

To be equitable does that mean the rest us should be required to shave our heads? That's just dumb. Equity as defined is a utopian ideal without recognizing reality like magic or religion. It ignores the huge disparities in human abilities and attempts to flatten us all into one universal human. So, it’s also really boring.

Maybe the common sense proposal should look something like this:

Equality of opportunity is a fundamental American principle and shifting resources to affect that opportunity for all people has been an ongoing march of progress and should continue.